


Mouseheart

by Nidoking (Spiderboat)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Coming of Age, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-04-04 20:17:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4151451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiderboat/pseuds/Nidoking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Vika wants to explore the world, fight great battles, and become a hero. But when the Rattata's mother gets captured, she seeks help from Mr. Drowzee and his sister Stella to become strong so she can challenge the Trainer and bring her mother back home. Meanwhile, a mysterious enemy threatens the very fabric of space. Follow Vika on her adventures and see what it means to be truly mousehearted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading Mouseheart! Update scheduling at this time is uncertain due to my seeking stable employment over the summer, but I hope you will enjoy this story. Please leave feedback if you have the time! Thank you, and enjoy!

_"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children." - William Makepeace Thackeray_

* * *

 

To many, the passing by of a common butterfly is a mundane sight. Its small, sturdy build and plain, white wings draw the sense of wonder and magic out of very few. But to Vika, the butterfly was a magnificent creature, worthy of a great and rousing pursuit. Locking its fluttering wings in her sights, the young Rattata leaped away from her mother and gave chase. She weaved in and out of the tall grass as the butterfly hesitantly bobbed over the stalks. It was noon, and the perfect blue sky overhead gave Vika an excellent view of her quarry.

Clumsily, she reached up to paw at the insect with her tiny cream paw, forgetting how fast she was running. A stone in her path that she had not seen for her skyward gaze tripped her. The Rattata somersaulted forward, unhurt except for her pride. Her long, furry tail fell clean on her face, and Vika groaned. Looking up, the butterfly must have turned in the split second she had fallen, for she couldn't find it again.

"Vika!" her mother's voice rang out. She could hear the distinctive padding of the Raticate's feet - not a gentle pitter-patter like Vika's own feet, but not heavy and loud like a Phanpy's. Vika rolled onto her hindlegs and began to brush the dirt and dust from her fur, using her claws to get in the second coat of fur like her mother had taught her.

Vika's mother sniffed her baby anxiously. "Are you okay, baby? That looked like it hurt."

"I'm fine," Vika said. "It was only a little fall."

"Well, that's good." Her mother gave her a quick clean behind the ears. "You know better than to run off like that. You could get ambushed by something bigger than you, or worse, a human." Vika's mother tried not to sound frustrated, but she had given her daughter this lecture a million times, and the Rattata was still prone to chasing anything that fluttered or was shiny. Arceus forbid she find something shiny and fluttery one day.

"I know, Mother. It's just - I saw it and I just had to chase it. I got really close to catching it this time!" The little mouse Pokemon pouted, looking back up at the sky. "I wonder where it went..."

"Probably somewhere where it could be safe from little Rattata trying to snatch it out of the sky." Vika's mother made a small sound unique to Rattata and Raticate that was like a half-chirp, half-growl, and nuzzled her daughter's cheek. "You know I'm hard on you because I love you, right?"

Vika returned the sound and gesture. "Yes, Mother. I love you, too."

"Now, let's get home. Auntie Sandshrew and her son are coming over for lunch."

Thinking about the baby Sandshrew, Vika groaned and pinned her ears back. "Ugh, not Ralphie," she said. "He's so _boring_. All he ever talks about are berries. My eardrums will fall out of my head if I have to hear one more time about irritation being good for plants."

"Irrigation, Vika."

"Whatever."

"You should be nice to him," the Raticate said as the pair made their way through the dirt trail. "He hasn't got many friends, and he's fond of you because you're a good listener."

"But he never lets us do anything _fun!_ " Vika protested. "He never wants to chase bugs or climb trees or go swimming or _anything_!"

Her mother chuckled. "How dreadful that your life isn't filled with adventure for one day."

"It _is_ dreadful!" Vika spit angrily, twitching her tail. "I want to go on real adventures one day, Mom. I want to fight monsters and become really strong and save the world! I wanna see the whole world, not just the forest! I'll _die_ if I have to spend the rest of my life at home, listening to Ralphie talk about abdication!"

"Irrigation, honey."

"What _ever_!" Vika huffed. She looked up at her mother, admiring the muscle and power she knew was hidden just underneath the soft, brown fur. "What was it like when you were young, Mom? Traveling all over and everything?"

A Spearow cawed overhead as Vika's mother paused to think. "Well," she said, "it was very dangerous. I put myself into a lot of risky situations because I thought I could handle it. I got out okay, obviously, because I met your father eventually and had you. But I don't think I would go back to adventuring and battling. I prefer staying here with you." She pulled her daughter in close and gave her a playful nuzzle right in Vika's ticklish spot, and she giggled.

When they broke away, they were almost at the clearing they needed to cross to pick up their berry store and run home under the Aspear tree. "Mom," Vika asked carefully. "When is Dad coming home?"

There was an awkward pause. "We should move quickly," her mother said. "The Pidgeotto told me that a family of Persian is moving in here, and I don't know about you, but I would rather not get eaten."

Vika looked sadly down at the earth. Her mother always dodged questions about her father. The only things Vika knew of him were that he was a Raticate, like her mother, and that they had met while her mother was exploring the world with a rescue team. She also knew that he had single-pawedly took on a pack of Houndoom and won. The one thing she knew for certain was that he had left for some unknown reason just before she was born and had never come back to see her.

Perhaps she was too caught up in her thoughts, or perhaps her mother hadn't spoken at all, but suddenly she was tearing across the clearing, startling Vika. Vika ran after her mother, moving at breakneck speed, getting closer and close-

"Vika, _stop_!"

She froze, a small amount of dirt flying out from under her. At first she was confused, seeing that her mother had stopped, too, several feet ahead of her. She couldn't scent any trouble, so what...?

"Hey, cool!" a foreign voice said, its voice booming and hideously loud. Vika covered her ears and lowered herself to the ground. She knew now exactly what this was, though she'd never seen one before.

Human.

Vika crawled into a patch of tall grass, awkwardly sprouted in the middle of the clearing. It didn't appear to notice her. She scooted forward in the patch, moving some stalks out of the way with two claws to give herself just enough room to see. There was her mother, standing on her hindlegs and baring her enormous fangs. She twitched her long, scaly tail and flexed her claws, and Vika felt that she had never looked quite this scary when telling her to clean out the den or not to run off. This was bad. This was really, really bad.

Finally, the human came into view. It was a weird, fleshy creature, pinkish-cream with a tuft of soft, brown hair on its head, but it was covered in all these weird things that didn't smell like moss or wood or anything natural. The stench made her nose wrinkle up tight.

"I could use a Normal type on my team," it said.

"Stay away from here!" Vika's mother snarled. All her fur was standing on end, making her appear bigger and rounder than ever. "Don't test me!"

"All right, Axew, let's go!" the human said. It reached its gross, weird paw down to its hip and pulled out a round contraption, red and white in color. Pressing a button, the machine expanded to three times its size, becoming almost bigger than the human's paw. The human threw the machine in the air. Opening, a beam of white light emerged, forming into the shape of a dragon-like creature. As the machine fell to the ground and the human scrambled to pick it back up, the creature materialized from the light. It was a dusky green color with a darker green head and markings, with a horn atop its head and huge white tusks poking straight out of the sides of its mouth.

"Let's go!" the Axew said, staring Vika's mother down with a toothy grin. "Give it everything you've got, you won't defeat me!" He puffed his chest out and clapped his mitten-like hands together, stomping loudly.

"We'll see about that," her mother said solemnly, dropping to four paws. She rushed the small dragon, moving at a speed Vika had never seen before, and before either Vika or the Axew could process what was happening, Vika's mother crashed into him with a ferocious headbutt. Axew grunted, and Vika's mother darted back a safe distance just as quickly.

"Axew, Dual Chop!"

The Axew obeyed the human's command, running at Vika's mother with its paws raised. At first Vika snorted - what was it going to do with those tiny things? But when she saw the fear in her mother's eyes, Vika crouched low instinctively. She didn't see what happened, only heard two sickening thuds and her mother's pained scream. The Rattata poked her nose through the grass and saw her mother twitching uncomfortably on the ground. She wanted to yell, but the twisting in her gut told her not to interfere. She watched.

Vika's mother rose back to her feet, shaking off the blow. She snarled loudly, baring her teeth and hurling herself at the Axew. Vika couldn't help but twitch her tail with excitement - this was Hyper Fang, her mother's signature move! Vika had never seen the move in battle before, but surely the weird dragon Pokemon would be defeated after that!

It appeared that way at first. As her mother's teeth sunk deep into the Axew's green skin, he yelled horribly loud, falling to the ground as he thrashed desperately. Satisfied, the Raticate dropped the Axew, blood on her big, wide teeth.

"Axew, you all right?" the human asked. The Axew fixed its human in his red eyes and nodded, brushing stray drops of blood to the ground. "Good! Finish this with Dragon Pulse!"

The Axew grinned, looking back at her mother. "Say your prayers, rat! You're going down!"

"Try me!" her mother said, lashing her tail.

Axew opened its mouth wide, and Vika stared in awe and terror at what happened next. A blue ball of energy began to form in the Axew's mouth. It was a dark and sinister thing, unlike anything Vika had ever seen before. Everything in her body screamed to run in and fight this monster herself, to stop it from using its power, but her mother's voice screaming for her to stop froze her in place. In agony, she could do nothing but watch the battle in silence.

The ball of energy became bigger and bigger in moments, and when it finally grew enough to satisfy the Axew, it launched forward straight at Vika's mother. She tried to dodge the attack, but it followed her movements. It struck her down mid-jump with incredible force, and she howled in pain. Vika gasped. This couldn't be happening. Her mother was... losing? No, no, this couldn't be true. She had taken on a Rhyhorn and won, she had fought off a Fearow, she had crossed a raging waterfall - this _couldn't_ be happening. It had to be a dream, a terrible dream. She couldn't actually be seeing her mother twitching and moaning in pain. No, no, this wasn't real. Any moment she would wake up to her mother telling her to clean up her messy nest this instant. Any second now. _Come on,_ Vika thought miserably, _wake up! Wake up! This can't be happening, this_ has _to be a dream!_

But it was very real. The human approached Vika's mother's twitching body with a sense of pride. "Good job, Axew," it said. "Now sit tight while I try something." The human rummaged through a strange pouch that slung over its shoulder awkwardly for a moment before pulling out another one of the red and white machines. "Poke Ball, go!"

The human threw the round machine at Vika's mother. The Raticate looked up in terror, locking eyes with her daughter as it descended upon her. "Vika!" she cried out as the machine hit her side. It bounced backwards, enveloping her mother in red light as it opened wide.

"Mother!" Vika called out desperately.

Her mother materialized into the red light, and the machine fell to the ground, absorbing it. Vika nearly wet herself from terror. What was happening? The machine began to rock back and forth, and Vika prayed with everything she had that somehow her mother would come bursting out of the machine, out of the red light, and sink her teeth into the human's leg. It rocked once, twice, three times.

"Mom!"

It stayed still.

"Mom, please!"

"All right!" the human said, picking the ball up and tossing it victoriously. The Axew cheered, hopping back and forth. "We did it, Axew! We caught a Raticate! Oh, did you see the Hyper Fang on this one? She'll be a great asset to the team!" It pulled out another contraption and tapped the Axew with it. "Now let's get you healed up at the Pokemon Center." The Axew willingly allowed itself to be absorbed in the red light, and the Trainer placed both machines - Poke Balls - on a clip on its hip, with four others that Vika could see. It turned and began to walk away.

Vika's heart stopped. Her mother was just... gone... inside that machine... What would she do? She had no father to take care of her, and she needed her mother. She loved her mother. What could she do all by herself?

No. She wouldn't let herself be a victim. She had to protect her mother.

"Hey!" she shouted as loud as she could, running after the human. She moved faster than she had ever run before, keeping it locked in her sights. "Hey, you! Get back here! Let my mother go!"

The human turned and looked at her with a blase expression. "Oh, it's just a Rattata," it said plainly. "How annoying."

Vika snarled, leaping forward towards the human. She wanted to sink her teeth into its skin, make him yell and bleed, make him do anything to let her mother go. "I'll destroy you if you don't let my mother free!"

But she misjudged the leap, crashing into the ground just before the human's feet. It laughed. "Stupid. I'm not gonna fight you, you're too weak. Go back home."

Vika looked up, hate and tears welling in her eyes. "Give me back my mother!"

It seemed not to hear her, for it turned away coldly, leaving her by herself. She had cut herself up badly from the fall and couldn't move. Pitifully, the Rattata watched as the human disappeared into the trees. A Tailow a long way away whooped, calling to its children for dinner. The humming sound of Masquerain wings buzzed in the distance, followed by the wet spatter of Surskit dancing on the lake after it. She even felt a Diglett burrowing under the earth below her, or perhaps a Dugtrio.

All this noise, and Vika laid there, terribly, terribly alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you like the story so far, please be sure to leave a kudos and a comment, if you have the time! It really helps the story grow and helps me to grow as a writer! Thanks!

_"God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight." - Reggie White_

* * *

 

In the wake of a great tragedy, the instant response for many is to remain still. The impact of shock is enough to freeze the body like a statue. Held in place, that individual will experience those feelings over and over in rapid succession while the cognitive knowledge of what has occurred sets in. This is different from the stereotypical reaction to tragedy, which is to yell, or scream, or fall to the earth a meek and broken creature. This is particularly thought to be the way of children, for children are creatures of impulse and emotion. The contemplative child is thought to be rare. Children are often thought to be incapable of true emotion.

Vika was an impulsive child, but she did not scream. She did not wilt like a broken flower. She froze, her shoulders back, back straight, as though she were standing sentry for her agony. It took a few moments for this knowledge of her mother being forcefully ripped out of her life to settle in. She remained still, her own tragedy crushing her, as though this terrible event was a powerful ocean wave, and she was a drawing in the sand.

No one would have blamed her for recoiling into herself. No one would have told her she was wrong for giving up. She had just become an orphan in the eyes of the forest. Orphans needed to grieve for their lost parents. To be an orphan child in the wild wood was to be a lost cause. Death trailed in the shadow of orphans.

A fluttering of white wings came into the corner of Vika's eye. She turned her head slowly, following its movements. The common butterfly danced down the path the human had walked. It floated carelessly, bobbing up and down in the air, clear and visible against the blue sky.Vika, for the first time in her life, did not feel the compulsion to chase. Instead, she nodded solemnly, as though the creature had delivered a message from on high. She watched as it flew slowly but assuredly down the dirt road, until its form had been swallowed up by the sky, and she could watch no longer. It was then that she knew what to do.

Vika dropped to four feet and began to walk back where she had come from.

The midday sun beat down between Vika's shoulder blades. The Rattata felt horribly exposed, knowing that an open clearing was a bad place for a mouse Pokemon to be. Still, she would not run from danger ever again. It had cost her far too much. Should something challenge her, Vika made it her mission, in that moment, to fight any creature that challenged her. She would either win, or die trying. Only those two options were acceptable.

As Vika walked across the meadow, a screech that was familiar to her broke the eerie quiet of the forest. The dark, angular shadow of a winged Pokemon fell upon Vika's small form, and her instinct made her look up. She had to squint against the bright sun, but the unmistakable shadow of a mighty Fearow was flying overhead, directly above her.

An ordinary mouse might have forgotten their mission instantly, digging a hole or darting to a patch of tall grass to hide from such a ferocious predator. To remain in the open was certain doom. And though Vika felt the twitch in her feet to run, the voice in her head screaming at her to hide, hide, _hide_ , the little Rattata remained still. Boldly, she stood up on her hindlegs, glaring at the Fearow that had begun to circle.

"Come on!" Vika called, her voice high and shrill. She was, after all, still a mouse, and mice are not known for deep and smooth baritones. "If you want to eat me, you'd better do it quick! But I'm not going down without a fight!" Angrily, she spit up at the sky, lashing her long, fluffy tail. Like her mother had done, Vika began to bare her fangs and flex her claws in a threat display.

The Fearow above was puzzled. What an unusual snack. Most of the Rattata would recoil in fear from her presence, for they had learned from their parents and their parents before them that she was death on wings. But this one... she did not seem afraid. Not terribly so, anyway. This Rattata seemed afraid in the way the Fearow was during thunderstorms, or watching her children learn to hop from branch to branch.

From the ground, Vika watched as the Fearow kept her locked in her sights, flying in a tight circle. She gulped nervously. Her fur was standing on end with fear, but she glared defiantly at the bird. She watched as the Fearow flexed her red talons, and, with a strong beat of her mighty, foot-and-a-half long wings, began to fly away.

The Fearow shook her head as she continued on for easier prey. Something was wrong with that mouse Pokemon, and it probably wouldn't taste very good.

Vika breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She had expected to get a surge of confidence from the Fearow flying away. And perhaps the Vika from about twenty minutes ago would have. But not orphaned Vika, who was fighting for her life every second she was without her mother. Dropping to four feet once more, Vika continued on - with perhaps a bit more of a sense of purpose than before.

In about half an hour, Vika found herself back at her old den. It was a hollow dug snugly underneath thick roots of the biggest Aspear Berry tree in the forest. Her mother, she had been told, fought off a nasty Furret for a spot this ideal. Only the best for her child. But the silhouettes in the distance made Vika remember what her mother had said in the tall grass: Auntie Sandslash and her son Ralphie were coming to visit. Vika would have to deliver the bad news herself.

Clambering on top of the root to see better, Vika waited silently for their approach. Auntie Sandslash's huge, brown spikes could be seen from miles away, while Ralphie's sniffling due to perpetual allergies could be heard from miles away. Ordinarily, it would have irritated her, but the young Pokemon was too emotionally numb to care.

"Vika!" Sandslash called out, waving her huge, white claws. "Good to see you, sweet thing," she said as she approached the den, Ralphie in tow. "Where's your mother?"

It took Vika a few moments to answer, for every time she tried to talk, her mouth felt dry and her throat tightened up.

"Vika? What's wrong?" Ralphie asked, hopping forward.

"She's gone," Vika finally gasped out. "A human took her away."

Auntie Sandslash brought a paw to her mouth to cover her gasp. She grabbed Ralphie and instinctively pulled him closer to her. "She's been captured...? No, no way, not her..."

Vika nodded solemnly. "I saw it all happen. She fought an Axew and lost..."

Sandslash reached out, wrapping Vika in a tight hug. "Oh, you poor, poor thing," she cooed, caressing Vika with her huge paws. "I'm so sorry. I lost my mother when I was your age to a human, too."

"I'm gonna get her back," Vika muttered. She didn't know where that statement had come from - perhaps she was reliving that feeling of chasing the human down the dirt road. But quickly she realized that that was not an impulse she felt. It was a mission. Vika now had purpose in life: To become strong and bring her mother back home, where she belonged.

Sandslash pulled back sharply. She blinked twice, her mouth in a small "o" shape. "What did you say?"

"I'm going," Vika said, standing on her hindlegs, "to get my mother back."

Sandslash shook her head, laughing nervously. "You - Vika, that's _impossible_. No one can just get a Pokemon back from a Trainer, that's not how it works."

"Nothing's impossible," Vika said, her expression very serious as she echoed words her own mother had said hundreds of times. "I _will_ get her back. I don't care what it takes."

"But, you would have to get, like," Ralphie said, his voice nasally as always, "crazy strong. Like, stronger than any Pokemon in the whole world."

"Then I'll do that. I'll become the strongest Pokemon in the world and fight every Trainer in the world until I get my mother back. I'll get her back or I'll die trying." Vika had begun to shake, suddenly overwhelmed with fury at the human who had stolen away her mother. Who did he think he was? How dare he march onto her land and act like he owned the place, and every creature in it? They were all like this, that was what Mother had said. Vika began to threat display at the mere thought of the Trainer's face. She didn't notice Ralphie take a hesitant step back.

Sandslash sighed softly. In her eyes, this was an impulsive reaction to pain. She had known Vika since she was a baby, and knew very well how much the little Rattata had problems controlling herself and her impulses. Eventually, she would calm down and think logically. Perhaps it was best to humor her for the moment. Perhaps once she saw how difficult the task she was claiming to undertake was, she would come to her senses and come back home. There would always be a place for Vika in the Sandslash's den, regardless of how she acted.

"Well," Sandslash said gently, tapping Vika on the shoulder, which startled the little mouse Pokemon out of her hissing and clawing at the air, "I know someone who might be able to help you."

Vika's ears flared and her eyes grew wide. "You do?" she gasped. "Who is it, Auntie?"

"In the swamp, there is a Pokemon named Mr. Drowzee," Sandslash explained, pointing at the darkest part of the forest to show Vika where the swamp lay. "He is a Psychic-type Pokemon, and very strong. He has powers unlike any of us here. Talk to him, and he might be able to help you become strong, too. But he doesn't do his work for free." For emphasis, Auntie Sandslash put her paws on her hips. "He will expect you to work for him: cleaning out his den, catching him bugs, fishing, bringing him berries and other plants to eat and make mysterious potions and poultices. All very weird, witchy stuff."

"How do you know all this?" Vika asked in awe.

"Yeah, Mom, I've never met this guy before," Ralphie interrupted, wiping a trail of snot from his nose. "Who are you talking about? Is that where you get my medicine?'

"It is, Ralphie," Sandslash said, nodding at him. She turned to look back at Vika, placing a hand on her boy's shoulder. "I used to work for him when I was younger. I wanted to become stronger in order to evolve when I was pregnant with Ralphie's older brothers. I had to protect my family."

"Well, I have to protect mine," Vika said. "You said he lives in the swamp?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, I don't mean to be rude, Auntie, but I should get going now if I want to get there before dark." Vika dipped her head and ran off.

Sandslash gasped. "Vika, wait! Come back!"

Ralphie snorted. "Mom, you really didn't expect her not to run off after you told her all that, did you?"

Sandslash sighed. "I might have."

"Then you don't know Vika." The little Sandshrew peered off after the mouse Pokemon's purple form, disappearing into the darkness. "She's not gonna come back without her mother."

"Which is to say, she'll never come back at all," Sandslash sighed, drawing her paw over her face. She felt sick.

"That's not true," Ralphie said. "She will come back. If anyone can do something like this, it's Vika, because Vika doesn't know how to give up, even when everyone else tells her she should." The Sandshrew watched as Vika dove into a thicket, the last of her tail vanishing from sight. "Good luck," he mouthed, so his mother would not hear him.

* * *

Vika had never been to the swamp by herself before. She had gone only a pawful of times with her mother when she was very young. In this part of the forest, where the trees were so thick they blocked the sky from sight, it was very important to remember where one was going. Vika began to mark up every third tree she passed, leaving tiny white lines on their trunks. This way, if she got lost, all she had to do was find a tree she had seen before. The plan wasn't perfect, but she could at least get her bearings.

At least she knew she wasn't wandering in circles.

The moos grew thick and damp here. The cloying scent of growing things clogged Vika's nostrils. An eerie glow from fungus that wrapped around the trunks of the trees and bushes made the fur on her back stand up. As many of her species did, the little Rattata began to chirp rhythmically and lowly under her breath. _Hee-hoo, hee-hoo, hee-hoo._

One might be led to believe that Vika was a fearless, bold child at all times. However, she was still a Rattata, and fear is at the core of a Rattata's being. They are small Pokemon, primarily known for their speed and ability to reproduce. They are animals who spend most of their lives creeping low towards the ground, welcoming the feelings of dirt and dust on their bellies for it means safety. Their tails are extra long for balance and agility when running and climbing away from danger. Their ears are meant for scooping up sounds of predators in any direction so they can run the opposite way.

Rattata only exist the way they do because fear is what keeps them alive.

Vika was no exception to this. She wandered, very afraid, through this dark, damp, and creepy wood, all alone. It was not until several hours, a few missed turns and circling back, and a handful of pit stops for fallen berries to eat, that she began to smell the dark tang of swamp water. That was a smell she would never forget.

_"Mother, why do we have to go here?" a much younger Vika was complaining. Her mother carried her by the scruff in her huge teeth, wading into the murky water with her baby._

_"You have to learn how to swim, Vika," her mother said softly. "One day, I won't be here anymore, and you'll have to know how to take care of yourself."_

_"But why would I ever have to come here?" the little mouse protested, twisting and turning as she tried to avoid getting green algae on her nice, soft fur. The salty, pungent scent of the swamp made her nose wrinkle up tight and she gagged audibly. "Yucky! I hate it here!"_

_"Vika, this is for your own good." And then her mother suddenly dropped her, and for a moment, Vika flailed under the water. She had never been submerged in water before and the sensation was terrifying and new. Instincts told her to flail her arms and legs as fast as she could. Up she pushed, up, up, up with her tiny limbs, until -_

_"Gah!" Vika's mouth opened wide as she felt cold spring air on her face, sucking in as much breath as she could. "Y-y-yucky! I hate the wet! I wanna go home, Mommy!"_

_"Vika, look," her mother said, seeming not to hear her. "You're swimming."_

_Vika, at first about to whine at her mother for not lifting her out of the dirty, disgusting swamp immediately, then felt something in her brain click. She looked down at her feet. She was paddling them, her forelegs above the water's surface and her hindlegs just underneath her. It was tiring on her small body, but it was keeping her from getting her face covered in more algae - and most importantly, kept her head above water, where she could breathe._

Lost in thought, Vika had barely noticed when she made it to the edge of the water. It looked much more shallow now than it had when she was younger, though it still had a nasty yellow-brown tinge to it that made her want to gag. Now, she had made it this far... how would she get to Mr. Drowzee's den?

"Towl! Towl!" the cry of a Noctowl rang out, shrill and screeching. In a panic, Vika jumped into the water, trying to mask her scent. She paddled hard and fast into a patch of cattails that were blowing gently in the breeze. Vika kept her eyes locked on the sky above, but all she could see was the darkness of night, a few errant stars, and the light of the full moon shining overhead. It looked like it would be a very long night.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel." - Napoleon Hill_

* * *

Up to her shoulders in filthy swamp water, Vika paddled slowly as she waited for the Noctowl overhead to pass. Had she been on open ground, able to run, as she had with the Fearow from earlier that day, perhaps she would have challenged it. But she was stuck in an unfamiliar element, with nowhere to run, and everywhere to become trapped - and somebody's lunch. The best thing to do, as ruled by her instincts, was to lay low and remain as still and quiet as possible.

Finally, either unable to see the Rattata or deciding that an easier meal would fill its belly better, the Noctowl flapped its powerful wings and flew away. When it had gone from her sight, Vika pried herself free of the tall cattails, loathing how loud splashing water sounded in her sensitive ears. The brushing of a small common fish against her toe in the water made her squeak, and as a wave of shock jolted down Vika's spine, she remembered something about large Water Pokemon being willing and able to scoop her up in their jaws if they were hungry enough. Not wanting to tempt them, she began to swim out to the middle of the swamp.

Vika didn't know exactly where she was going. In fact, she had no idea if swimming out to the strange island full of tall grass in the middle of the murky water was even a good idea. _But,_ she thought, _if I was a powerful Psychic type, I wouldn't want to be bothered by anybody. And if Auntie Sandslash is right about needing somebody to work for him, then he must not get out into the rest of the forest often. So... that seems like the best place to live._

If nothing else, it would give her someplace safe to rest for the night. It was well past her bedtime, but the drive to at least plead her case to the mysterious Mr. Drowzee pushed her on.

She paddled farther than she ever had before - which is to say, for longer than just a few minutes. Her mother's training had gotten her used to the sensation of swimming, and she knew a little about diving under the water and holding her breath, but she had never done it for a long period of time. She was beginning to get tired, even more than when she had begun. She felt her chin sinking lower and lower as she swam, and the little mouse struggled to keep her head up. Frantically, she looked for anything to hold onto for just a few moments, just to catch her breath, but nothing looked promising. She was too big for cattails to hold her up, and all the wood was too thin and flimsy to support her weight for more than a second. She considered paddling in place, just for a moment, but when she thought of glowing eyes and teeth beneath the murky surface, Vika shook her head and kept going.

Somehow, the island never seemed to get any closer, no matter how far she swam out. Looking behind her, she could see that she was far away from shore, but no closer to the island. How was that possible? Puzzled, Vika stopped. She didn't know very much about Psychic types, other than that they existed and had magical powers that Normal, Ground, Bug, and Flying types didn't have. Come to think of it... Vika didn't know much of anything about any Pokemon that lived in the forest other than the ones she knew. Even the Water types were a mystery to her. How many other types even were there? Well, she knew of Grass and Poison and Rock... but that was really all.

Swimming forward still, Vika began to speak to herself to keep herself awake. "Auntie Sandslash said that Mr. Drowzee was a very powerful Pokemon," she said to no one. "She said that he needed her to get berries and herbs for poultices and potions... 'witchy' stuff. Well, I don't really know what a witch is... but a Grass or Poison type would eat the berries up and use them from the inside out... so if a Psychic type is using them to make stuff without doing that, then... they must be smart. Like, really smart... Ugh, that doesn't help me at all!" Splashing her tail in anger, a hundred small water droplets launched in every direction around Vika. But...

Vika blinked. Had something splashed directly in front of her? Not on the water before her, for that would have rippled, but...

Vika tried splashing her paw this time. It made a smaller splash, but the effect it produced was stronger. Yes, the water was indeed splashing off of something solid directly in front of her. How odd. There was nothing in front of her, and yet the movement of the water suggested that there was in fact something. Splashing again, she saw crystal trails of water dripping down, moonlight caught in them.

Vika twitched her sharp, pointy whiskers on either side of her nose. How could that be possible? What was that? Her curiosity got the better of her, and she reached her paw out further, right where she could see a droplet, and found that her paw was making contact with wet stones. Invisible wet stones.

Sudden terror began to overtake the small mouse Pokemon. What was this? This was new, different from anything she had seen before. It could be dangerous. Was she losing her mind? Was this a dream? Would she wake up and find herself floating at the bottom of the swamp, lungs filling with water? What if this was Mr. Drowzee's way of tricking small Pokemon into jumping into his mouth?

 _Stop questioning yourself!_ a small voice in the back of Vika's mind roared. _Just climb! You'll die out here if you don't climb!_

Upon realizing that the small voice belonged to herself, and that she was in fact awake, Vika nodded, agreeing with her own mind. Yes. The only way she could overcome this was to try to climb it, even if she could not see the ground beneath her.

She reached up and pulled her other paw onto another stone. It was slippery, and it took her a while to hook her claws in. Finally, when both front feet were secure, Vika hauled her wet body up out of the swamp. Scrabbling onto one of the invisible stones, the young Rattata began to use her paws, whiskers, and tail to find the next rock to climb on. She could scent and feel wet sand all around her, and knew she had climbed onto something. Trying not to look at the open water beneath her, Vika scrambled up a piece of driftwood she bumped her nose into. She bolted up as quickly as she could, feeling it wiggle under her light weight. As she landed safely on what felt like dry sand now, she heard the driftwood fall backwards onto the stones, and watched as a rectangular splash appeared in the water below.

Vika shivered. This was too creepy. She hoped that soon, she would be able to find some way to make the island visible.

"H-hello?" she called out hesitantly, feeling that there was no further she could climb. "Excuse me, is anyone here?" A cold gust - odd for the middle of summer - blew across Vika's back, and she shivered. But she remained hovering in midair, taking hesitant steps forward. "Excuse me, please! I'm looking for Mr. Drowzee!"

"Nobody's home!" a voice called out angrily. Now Vika could smell... smoke? She was not sure what it was, but her instincts told her that it was related to fire, something she had only heard tales of before. "Go away!"

"I-I would if I could," Vika responded hesitantly, not getting any closer. "But I really need to see Mr. Drowzee. It's very important. Please, I just need him to listen for me for just a minute."

There was a pause and some indistinct murmuring, a loud groan, and then - "Fine. One moment, please." A fizzling sound was heard before a loud pop, and suddenly, Vika found herself standing on a beautiful, beachy island. There was white sand and tall, healthy green grass all around her, and the smell of smoke now hit her like a ton of bricks. It made her eyes water, but she ran the sand through her paws and over her face, grateful that she did not have to see waves of yellow swamp water beneath her paws anymore. Of course, it got stuck to her, because she was still drenched from swimming, but she didn't care.

"Wait right there," the voice called back, and Vika remained still. She could hear the heavy plodding of some Pokemon coming closer, and it was unlike the footsteps of any she'd heard before. Its smell was odd too, and masked largely by the smell of fire and berries. The wait was agonizing. What kind of Pokemon even _was_ a Drowzee?

There was no time to speculate, for a yellow hand pushed some beach grass aside. A very odd Pokemon was attached to the hand - a bipedal creature, yellow on top with a brown lower body, with beady black eyes and a long, wrinkly nose that seemed to have muscles of its own, moving it like an awkward appendage. It was flexing irritably now, and the Pokemon whose face it rested on looked angry.

"And who are you?" he asked, crossing his arms at Vika.

Vika took a quick moment to compose herself, and to take her eyes off the creature's animated nose. She rose to her hind legs to be as tall as possible, and brushed some of the sand off her cream chest. "My name is Vika," she said. "Are - are you Mr. Drowzee?"

"Is that what they call me?" Mr. Drowzee said. "Unbelievable. I mean, my name is -" He sighed. "It doesn't matter. Yes, I am Drowzee. Now, do tell me what exactly is so urgent that you felt the need to get my mental shield for my home all dirty, as well as interrupt me while I was busy fixing supper. I am simply _dying_ to know." He rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly.

Vika almost felt ready to turn and come back. Shame crept up in her belly. Why _would_ he want to listen to a child cry for her mother back? He was a powerful Pokemon who lived in secret, he didn't need anyone, clearly.

But if she went away... then what could she do for her mother? How would she get her back?

No, no matter how badly this Pokemon was trying to make her feel, Vika had to do something. This was about something greater than herself. Not to speak would have been cowardice, and while she might have been prone easily to fear, Vika was not raised to be a coward.

"My mother was stolen from me by a Pokemon Trainer -" Vika began, but Mr. Drowzee completely cut her off.

"Oh, so you want me to hex the human?" he said in a hissing, mocking tone. "Curse the ball, haunt his dreams, use telekinesis to make the Poke Ball release your mommy dearest? Well, bad news for you, little girl - I can't do any of those things. There are rules to being a Psychic, you know! We have standards! For instance, I could easily probe into that sad little brain of yours and read every single one of your thoughts, find out every dirty little secret you have, though I doubt you have many since you look as though you just stopped nursing yesterday. I could transfigure you into a hideous beast and make you sing "Mary Had A Little Mareep" all day long while hopping on one foot. But I can't and I don't because of the law. So no, I won't do anything like that for you, no matter how despicable I may find humans to be." He sighed and waved Vika away. "Sorry to waste your time, but you can run along now."

Vika paused a moment, dumbstruck. What a rude Pokemon! "If you had let me finish," she said, a tint of venom creeping into her speech, "I would have told you that I wanted you to train me so that I could become strong and challenge that Trainer to a battle. I would have told you that I would have been willing to work for you like my Auntie Sandslash did before she had her first clutch of eggs." She shrugged. "But, you didn't let me finish, so you had to say all that stuff that didn't interest me anyway."

Mr. Drowzee blinked. Vika smirked. She'd impressed him! The elephant-like Pokemon brought his hand to his chin, his nose bobbing up and down in thought. "It _has_ been a while since I've had an assistant..." He looked back at Vika. "Though I've got to tell you, your plan... it has a lot of holes in it."

"I'll fill them myself," Vika said. "I need to do this for my mother. I'm not giving up no matter what. I'll do whatever it takes to become strong!"

Mr. Drowzee sighed. "Fine. But I won't be doing any battle training for you. That will be my sister's job."

"Sister?" Vika echoed, her ears cupping forward in confusion. "You have a sister? Auntie didn't mention that..."

"The Sandslash? She wouldn't know. My sister only just came here a few weeks ago." Mr. Drowzee sighed. "She was in a bad way, but she's healed now. And ready to help pull her own weight." He added the last bit with a flick of his extremely small ears. He began to walk backwards and beckoned to Vika with his hand. "Come, come, dinner will burn if I'm away any longer."

 _Wasn't it already burning?_ Vika thought. But she was too overcome with relief to be snarky. Her plan was working! Mr. Drowzee was really going to help her become strong! Or, well, his sister... But she must have been just as good, if not better!

* * *

The hut that Mr. Drowzee lived in was small and not all that impressive. It had a roof made of old beach grass woven together, and the same went for the round sides of the hut. There were two small windows and one tiny door, just big enough for him to walk through without crouching. But to Vika, who was used to seeing homes made from the hollows of trees or holes in the ground, this was an incredible structure, the true result of an amazing intellect. However much she may have disliked Mr. Drowzee at the moment, she found herself admiring and respecting him. She wondered if her mother would like to live in a home like this, and maybe the Furret could have her burrow back.

Stepping through the doorway, made of even more beach grass, Mr. Drowzee announced, "We've got ourselves a visitor!"

The inside was even more amazing than Vika had imagined. A plush carpet made from some kind of fur sat in the middle of the floor, and shelves full of scrolls, leaves, berries, and all kinds of plants were hung all throughout the circular room. There were two cots, one empty, nearest the window, and another one that seemed to have a Pokemon in it, hanging awkwardly over the edge. But what really caught Vika's attention was the large, black cauldron in the center of the room. It had boiling water inside it, and a thick layer of white water vapor poured out from its lipped opening. And more impressive than that was the fire just beneath it.

Vika knew instantly what fire was from looking. This orange creature and yet not a creature, who lived off the driftwood from the beach and consumed it. The smell of smoke was strong in here, and Vika found her green eyes staring deeply into the flames. (Most Rattata had red eyes, but that gene had skipped Vika due to her mother not carrying it.) "How did you tame it?" she asked.

"The fire? Oh, it's easy, just some flint. Anyway, welcome to my home," Mr. Drowzee said, taking the wooden ladle atop the cauldron and stirring the water inside it. "Tonight's dish is a Chesto Berry stew with some beach grass and Shellder meat, as well as a few herbal hints. Are you hungry?"

Vika's stomach rumbled loudly. "U-um, yes, thank you." She had never eaten hot food before, and truth be told, was looking forward to just taking the Chesto out and nibbling it by itself.

"Splendid, then I didn't make too much after all." He looked over his shoulder at the full cot. "Stella, do you want something to eat?"

The Pokemon in the cot rose slowly, grabbing her head. "Why do you always have to eat so late at night?" she groaned. "Some of us like to sleep by the sun's schedule."

Mr. Drowzee snorted. "And some of us like to live by our _species'_ schedule, thank you very much. Stew. You want it?"

"Ugh, yes, yes, fine, if it'll get your shrill voice to stop droning in my ears." Stella rose to her feet and entered the small patch of light created from both the fire and the moonlight. Vika blinked, unable to help but stare, for Stella was somehow like Mr. Drowzee but not like him. She was taller, with a pointy nose and bigger eyes and ears. She was all yellow, with a mighty white ruff of fur around her neck that reached down to her abdomen, and in her hands she carried one small, silver pendulum. She and the Rattata shared a look for a moment, her black eyes unblinking, before Vika was the first to look away.

"You're new here," Stella commented. She approached Vika and got down on one knee to be at eye level with her. "What's your name?"

"Vika," the Rattata replied shyly.

"Nice to meet you," Stella said. She reached out her hand towards Vika, opening it and offering it to her. "I'm Stella, Carl's sister."

"Um, I go by 'Mr. Drowzee' here, Stella," the Drowzee said awkwardly, pulling three wooden bowls from one of his many shelves. "No one calls me Carl except for you anymore."

"Well, to be fair, your species name is a little more dignified than your actual name." Stella still looked warmly at Vika. "You can shake my hand, you know."

Vika blinked, unsure of what to do. "What is that?"

"Oh, well. It's a gesture of friendship. Here, hold out one of your forepaws to me." Vika did so, and Stella wrapped it up in hers, shaking it gently. Then she let go. "There, now we've shaken hands."

"That's a weird thing to do," Vika commented.

Stella chuckled. "It is what it is. Why don't you tell me more about yourself over dinner?"

Vika nodded, and Mr. Drowzee passed her and Stella a bowl each, full of bubbling hot stew. It was brown, surprisingly, with floating bits of berries, grass, and some other stuff inside. To Vika's disappointment, all the Chesto chunks were wet and soggy. She sniffed the food hesitantly. Was this really good to eat? But she watched as the Drowzee and the not-Drowzee ate with relative gusto, and decided to follow suit. She placed the bowl on the ground, her paws too small to use the spoon she'd been provided, and began to lap at the hot soup. It burned her tongue at first, but the salty taste wasn't actually all that bad. The minty flavors of the other herbs balanced out the bitterness of the beach grass, too. While it didn't beat the feel and taste of a sweet Pecha bursting in her teeth, it was a good meal.

"So," Stella said, crossing her legs as she used her white ruff to delicately wipe some liquid off her mouth, "I'm surprised you're even here. Ca- Mr. Drowzee doesn't like visitors, and not many have been able to break through the invisibility spell before. You must be very special."

"Or mad," Mr. Drowzee muttered, too quiet for Stella to hear, but Vika flinched.

"I swam to get here," she said quickly, "because Auntie Sandslash told me that Mr. Drowzee could help me to become strong."

"Why do you want to be strong?" Stella asked. It was a simple question, asked warmly and simply. But it was Mr. Drowzee who hijacked the conversation by responding.

"She thinks she can become strong enough to challenge a Trainer that stole her mother," he said. He was smirking just a little, as though the idea was funny, and Vika became irate from the sight.

"I can!" she spat. "I can and I will, with or without you!"

This made Mr. Drowzee jump, surprised by her ferocity. "All right, all right, take it easy, don't go biting my nose off."

Stella shot her brother a look before looking at Vika again, much gentler. "I think that's a very noble reason to want to be strong," she said. "And I'm very sorry to hear about what happened to your mother. But why do you want to take her back from her Trainer? Some Pokemon wind up being very happy working alongside humans, you know. Maybe the same will be for her? Have you considered that?"

Vika shook her head. "Mom would hate that. She didn't want to fight any more battles, ever. She explored a lot when she was younger and she just wanted a nice, quiet life. I have to bring her back home, where she belongs." She looked at Stella and then Mr. Drowzee. "Will you please help me?

Stella looked at her brother. "I'll train her," she said. It was simple and quick, without even asking him for his opinion.

"Are you crazy?" Mr. Drowzee said, waving his spoon at her with indignation. "She's a child, Stella! She's barely old enough to be out on her own!"

"And she's got a dream and a goal," Stella retorted. "I didn't become the first one to evolve into a Hypno without having those, either." There was a pause, then, "Don't say that! You know I didn't choose that!"

"Well, maybe you shouldn't go bragging about the circumstances, then!" Mr. Drowzee replied, tidying up angrily. "If you want to send her down that road, be my guest. She isn't my responsibility."

"Down what road?" Vika asked.

Stella and Mr. Drowzee looked at each other. "It's not important," Stella finally said. "The point is, we begin training tomorrow. If that's still something you want?"

A tremor of excitement quivered through Vika's body. This was happening? This was actually happening? Her crazy, spur of the moment plan was actually coming together. And soon, she would be strong enough to fight that Trainer and get her mother back. Soon enough now.

"Vika?" Stella asked once more, seeing that the Rattata was lost in thought.

Vika looked back at Stella, grinning wide. "Yes!"


End file.
